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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an excellent job outlook for dental assistants to 2016, with dentists looking to hire more assistants as their workload increases. Dental assistants do a variety of tasks under the dentist’s supervision: disinfect and prepare equipment, work alongside dentists during procedures and even take dental x rays. The list of duties and responsibilities is expanding, with advanced training, and dentists are looking for reliable people who are good with their hands and can handle multiple tasks.

For those considering a career as a dental assistant ACT College offers the Dental Assisting Diploma Program. Hands-on training gives you the technical experience you need, while the coursework gives you an edge in this growing field. With both day and evening schedules, you can be a dental assistant in about one year.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

ACT College offers a Diploma in Dental Assisting. While one can become a dental assistant on the job, experience and training give students the skills they need before they get to the front office or the dentist’s chair, making them more competitive and increasing the likelihood of a better wage.

To get a diploma from this program, students can follow the day schedule, a 40 week course, or get their diploma in 58 weeks following the evening sessions. Both schedules require 180 hours of hands-on clinical experience.

The program provides training for a wide variety of skills needed for this field. Students in the diploma program will learn how to run the front office with its administrative skills program, computer basics and human relations courses, but they’ll also learn how to work in the clinical environment by learning patient care protocols, four handed dentistry and handling medical emergencies.

Meanwhile, students will also learn some foundational knowledge for the field, like dental terminology and anatomy and physiology for the head and neck.

Clinical experience is essential for the student to complete this course and feel confident about their abilities. The diploma program requires the student participate in a 60-hour internship at the school, as well as a 180-hour externship, where the student works in an actual dentist’s office.

The path to a career in dental assisting doesn’t end with a diploma. ACT College’s Career Development Team is on hand to help students take their newfound skills and knowledge out of the classroom and into a job. ACT College also holds regular college career expos to bring the graduates and jobs together.

ACT College gets its accreditation from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The dental assisting program has also been certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and its curriculum approved by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Board of Dentistry.

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS and FINANCIAL AID

The ACT College Diploma in Dental Assisting program does not require a high school diploma or GED as a prerequisite for admission if the students are older than the age limit for compulsory school attendance. However, they must be older than the maximum age for compulsory school attendance. And they have to attend a session with a college remediation advisor. They also have to take and pass the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test to assess their verbal and mathematics skills. Students under 18 must have the signature of a parent or guardian to enroll.

Those with a high school diploma or GED are eligible to take exams for certification. American Medical Technologists offers certification through its Registered Dental Assistant Exam, and the Dental Assisting National Board offers certification through the Infection Control and Radiography sections of its Certified Dental Assisting exam.

Students also have the option of completing an Associates Degree in the ACT College Allied Health Technology Degree Program.

Several options are also available to pay for the program, including federal grants, Stafford loans and campus-based funds (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Work-Study programs). Private financing is anther option as are scholarships. ACT College’s Financial Services team is ready to work with prospective students to put together a package to fund their education.

SCHOOL LOCATIONS

ACT College has three campuses serving the Washington D.C. area, with locations in Manassas, Alexandria and Arlington, VA. The Alexandria and Arlington campuses offer the diploma in medical assisting, while only the Arlington campus offers the diploma program to those who do not hold a high school diploma or GED.

GENERAL INFORMATION

With campuses located in northern Virginia, ACT College has been providing training exclusively for the allied health field since 1983. Degree programs include Allied Health Technology, Medical Assisting with X-ray and Medical Radiography. Diploma programs include Medical Assisting, Medical Office Administration, Dental Assisting and Pharmacy Technology. The college’s ACT Success Plan takes the student from the beginning of the process, with career planning and financial services advice, through the learning curve of obtaining new knowledge and skills, to the transition into the workforce.

Accreditation

ACT College gets its accreditation from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The dental assisting program has also been certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and its curriculum approved by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Board of Dentistry.

Tuition Information

Tuition for ACT College’s Dental Assisting program is estimated to be $12,980 by the National Center for Education Statistics (www.nces.ed.gov); for more accurate figures, request information from ACT College.

Several options are also available to pay for the program, including federal grants, Stafford loans and campus-based funds (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Work-Study programs). Private financing is anther option as are scholarships. ACT College’s Financial Services team is ready to work with prospective students to put together a package to fund their education.

Request Information from ACT College